Want Some Bacon? Why Not Spray It On?

This has to be the most bizarre creation I’ve seen in a long time. According to the Philadelphia Inquirer, “New York chef David Burke has a new line of flavor sprays that imitate the taste of cheesecake, blue cheese, barbecue sauce – even root beer float- without the fat, calories or carbs. A simple sprtiz is intended to replace sauces and toppings on anything from chicken to baked potatoes to nonfat yogurt.”

Burke hopes that people on a diet will use these sprays in place of higher-calorie ingredients, and be satisfied. He believes that by tasting bacon, your brain and stomach will be come satiated and you won’t have a craving for it anymore.

So, let’s say I spray the bacon-flavored spray on brussell sprouts. I’m supposed to be satisfied now that I’ve had something that tastes like bacon? Uh-uh, I don’t think so. When I want bacon, I want bacon. I want the texture, the crunch and the taste all in one. Simply spraying something my food with something that resembles the taste of a high-calorie food, such as bacon, when what I’m really eating is spinach is not going to satisfy my craving for bacon.

I don’t profess to know a lot about nutrition but I think this is somewhat ridiculous. Why not try eating the low-calorie versions of your favorite foods? Instead of eating bacon all the time, why not try turkey bacon sometimes. Instead of full-calorie yogurt, switch to low-calorie yogurt. The day that I have to spray my food to make it taste like something else is the day I will throw my hands up and give up.

“Have we become so fearful of calorie consumption that we are willing to replace real food with the ephemera of chemical mists in order to shed a few pounds? There is some absurdity in replacing fresh foods with spray-on food in the name of ‘health,” notes Mailina Brown, author of the article.

Amen sister.

Now For Some Diet Soda Trivia...

I took the Soda Pop Trivia Quiz today and realized I need to brush up on my soda trivia. For some reason I’ve been in the mood to learn random facts that may not actually ever help me but still make me feel like a better human being anyways. Did you know that there are more ink pens in the world than pencils?

I digress. The quiz asks things about the original name of various sodas, the name of the low-calorie soda that came out before Diet Coke and so on. It’s pretty interesting for people who are into soda and diet soda. I can proudly say I wasted 15 minutes of my workday taking this quiz and now I’m spending another 15 minutes blogging about it.

Apparently I didn’t do too well because I only got a score of 214. See if you can beat my score!

Now You're Friends Will Think You're Smart

Today, instead of diet soda news, I’ve decided to fill your minds with random factoids courtesy of Gullibleinfo. Yes, I know the name is misleading but go with me on this one. Our regularly scheduled diet soda news will resume on Friday. Enjoy!

One of every 10,000 decks of cards sold in the US contains a duplicate card.

In a 2004 study by OSHA, it was discovered that people who will "usually" eat food that they've accidentally dropped on the floor report having 18 percent fewer sick days from work than those who "never" do that.

While 73 percent of elevators have a "door close" button, the button only works in eight percent of those elevators.

Couples who get married on a weekday receive 23 percent fewer presents than those who get married on a weekend. --Lauren, this tidbit's for you!

When the head of Walt Disney was cyrogenically embalmed, experts predicted that his "thawing" would be possible by 1998.

November is national gingivitis awareness month.

The average male's hair starts to grey at the age of 32.

In the United States, there are more employed video game programmers than there are policemen.

Ronald Reagan was the first president with a website.Worldwide, 91 percent of people die within 20 miles of their place of birth.

For a 150-pound man, 50 cups of coffee contain enough caffeine to be lethal. --Soul Searching, don't drink too much coffee!

Happy Thursday everybody!

The Cult of Diet Coke

Are you part of the Cult of Diet Coke? According to this web site, “The Cult of Diet Coke is strong and lavishly devoted, making their beverage of choice the undisputed leader in diet sodas for the last two decades and the third-most popular soda in the Untied States, trailing only Coca-Cola and Pepsi.

I have recently noticed that members of the Cult of Diet Coke work in my office. These people are avid fans of Diet Coke and scoff and turn their noses up at any other brand. I am an equal opportunist when it comes to diet soda but not these people!

“Diet Coke is asked for, by name, in contract riders from a wide variety of artists, ranging from Michael W. Smith to Nine Inch Nails. The old rockers love it – REO Speedwagon, Night Ranger and the Beach Boys demand Diet Coke. So do divas Mariah Carey, Elton John and Cher. Country fried superstars Toby Keith, Shania Twain and LeeAnn Rimes can’t get enough. R&B and rap artists TLC and the Black Eyed Peas want their Diet Cokes, too. Even the Chairman of the Board, Frank Sinatra, had a six pack or two in his dressing room,” notes Eric Gillin.

Wow! It seems like a lot of people really love their Diet Coke. I’m all for it – if you find a drink you enjoy (especially if it’s calorie-free), then go for it!

The article goes on to discuss the history of Diet Coke, the urban myths surrounding low-calorie sweeteners and makes some brief mention of TaB. By the way, if you’re a TaB fan you should check out ilovetab.com. It’s a web site strictly devoted to the soda and its fans.

In other news, I’m off the diet just for today. We had an Employee Appreciation breakfast and I decided to show my office how much I appreciate them and allow them to watch me scarf down every crumb of food in sight – trust me, it’s pretty amusing to watch.

Just Another Manic Monday...or Tuesday

Not much to blog about today. Things are really crazy at work and I’m running around like a chicken with my head cut off. Maybe I should skip exercise today since I’ve been doing so much running around the office? Sigh, I guess not. Who am I kidding? I haven’t made it to the gym once this week! However, I’m feeling lucky today and I think today just might be the day!

Right now I’m in desperate need for a Diet Dr. Pepper. My daily diet soda at 2:00 is often the only thing that gets me through a difficult day at work. Don’t get me wrong, I love my job but sometimes things can get a little stressful. I am happy to report I haven’t ANY Big Kit Kat Bars or Cadbury Eggs or Reese’s Peanut Butter Eggs this week! Whohoo! It is only Tuesday though…

Happy Tuesday everyone!

Life is Sweet for Diet Soda

In the world of diet soda, things are looking up. A new study from the National Cancer Institute (NCI) found that aspartame, the low-calorie sweetener commonly found in diet soda and thousands of other products, does not raise the risk of cancer. There are people out there who believe aspartame and other sweeteners are dangerous and should be avoided but this recent study proves we have nothing to worry about.

The study involved more than a half a million Americans, ages 50 to 69. Participants filled out surveys detailing food and beverage consumption in 1995 and 1996, and researchers calculated the amount of aspartame each person consumed over the period of two years. Over the next five years 2,106 of the participants developed cancer and 376 developed brain tumors. Here’s the interesting part: Researchers found there was no link between aspartame consumption for these cancers in general or for specific types.

I think people should consume the foods and beverages that they like and are comfortable with. If you think aspartame is bad for you, stay away from it. My problem comes when these anti-aspartame activists come in, yelling and screaming at people to avoid aspartame at all costs. There are so many studies proving its safety, plus it seems like everything gives you cancer these days.

In the other news, I lost one pound this week!!! It might not be a lot but hey, it’s something. I strayed a little from my contract but it’s not my fault. It’s the fault of the Easter Bunny and all of the delicious candy in the grocery stores right now. I love those Reese’s Peanut Butter Eggs and Cadbury Eggs as well

Low-Calorie=Longer Life?

The New York Times recently published a study from the Pennington Biomedical Research Center at Louisiana State University that indicates consuming a low-calorie diet may lead to a longer life. Researchers found that a low-calorie diet lead to changes in metabolism and body chemistry, which not only lead to weight loss but slowed down the aging process as well. Most participants in the study reduced their caloric consumption by 25 percent.

Considering I eat an immense amount of chocolate everyday, I could easily reduce my caloric consumption by 25 percent – especially if it meant I might live longer. Also, I don’t have a lot of weight to lose, maybe 10 pounds, but I would really like to get it off before bathing suit season starts.

About a year ago I actually considered looking into the Calorie Restriction Society. Have y’all ever heard of this? These are people that drastically reduce their calories, not so much to lose weight, but in order to live a longer life. People following this way of life consume an absolute minimum amount of calories per day and strive for “calorie-sparse, nutrient-dense” foods.

I’m all for being healthy but I’m certainly not all for being hungry. When I get hungry I get mean! I think for now I’ll stick to my contract, keep chugging my delicious, calorie-free diet soda and try a little harder to hit the gym – I’ve yet to workout this week.